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Phil Edwards status

I think I was like 19 when I read it the first time. I was really into his books as a teenager and young adult. I wasn't sure if it would hold up or if it was one of those things I would try to go back to and just be cringing at the tastes of my younger self.

Nope. He was a legitimately good writer and this book feels as prophetic as ever.

Billy Hamilton status

i have a friend, surfs topanga, owns a used book dispencery, haha,
he hooks me up with readz, he did so recently, in this pandemic of 2020,
so i've been diggin' some ol' John D. MacDonald books, even re~readin' a few that i read back '79, '80, etc
when i 1st started venturin to Thee North Shore as a l8 teen~ager,
readin' wordz before + also apres surf!

Stories of a Floridian beach~bum name of Travis McGee,
and other prose, dude was kinda a legendary novelist,
a writer of words back in thee '50's + '60's...

Michael Peterson status

i have a friend, surfs topanga, owns a used book dispencery, haha,
he hooks me up with readz, he did so recently, in this pandemic of 2020,
so i've been diggin' some ol' John D. MacDonald books, even re~readin' a few that i read back '79, '80, etc
when i 1st started venturin to Thee North Shore as a l8 teen~ager,
readin' wordz before + also apres surf!

Stories of a Floridian beach~bum name of Travis McGee,
and other prose, dude was kinda a legendary novelist,
a writer of words back in thee '50's + '60's...

Do you think the Unlimited service is worth it? I'm always wary of supposed "unlimited" subscriptions that are actually limited in selection, where you end up spending more on top of the subscription to get what you really want.

Basically an assassin that lives in the spook and organized crime world and goes all around the world in his books. The 2nd one has a half-n-half Japanese Brazo stripper as a character. What's not to like about that?

Duke status

Do you think the Unlimited service is worth it? I'm always wary of supposed "unlimited" subscriptions that are actually limited in selection, where you end up spending more on top of the subscription to get what you really want.

Basically an assassin that lives in the spook and organized crime world and goes all around the world in his books. The 2nd one has a half-n-half Japanese Brazo stripper as a character. What's not to like about that?

I don't think it is worth it at all. A lot of newly self-published authors. Not to say there isn't good material in there but if you had your set on reading several books on the Good Book thread list, you won't find them there. No Steinbeck, no Hemingway, no Theroux, no Miller of any repute. Etc.

You can do better at your local library. Well, before goddamn Covid. There's a long line at the local for online books. Plus, every 3-4 months, they have used book sales (at least in SoCal) where you fill a bag for a dollar. You can get much more material for $9 than you can read in a month.

I just finished The Institute by Stephen King. Had some elements of Firestarter to it, which I kind of liked. Overall really good and it read like the wind but a lot of times it felt like he was trying to drop current events and trends just a little too hard, which will only be stupid if you read it 5 years hence. Didn't override the quality of the story but I was thinking, man shut the f*ck up already Steve.

Was nice to have a fast read after the 3-month slog through Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer. It was an incredible book and I'm glad to have finally read it. Lots of microscopic footnotes (which will mess up the Kindle version apparently). Eerie parallels between US and Nazi society in some senses. Enough to make you furrow your eyebrows to be sure. Hitler during the Beer Hall Putsch was a bitch who developed bone spurs mid-conflict and fled, leaving 16 compatriots to get slaughtered - what a guy. Lot of personality similarities between him and Trump. But Trump has more the gumption and world usefulness of Mussolini TBH. Goering who dressed like a high-class prostitute, had no problem parading but had a week stomach when things got real.

The French rolled over pretty hard, as did the Czechs. I think the Polish get a really bad rap. They had f*cking balls. Charging tanks with horses and lances, while foolish, took some serious guts and unlike other countries, they fought hard to the end, especially in their last section of ghetto. Surprised if they haven't made a movie out of it. Then by contrast, Mussolini and his armies were very pathetic. They could bully Haile Selassie but aside from that, man, I think Italian jokes should rightfully supersede Polish jokes. Excerpt of Churchill's iconic speech is in there, quite awesome. Made me want to listen to Iron Maiden when I read it in there. "The New Order" chapter told a pretty bleak description of the results of conquest and extermination. Something all those Holocaust deniers and/or A-holes parading around with Nazi flags today should read and think on a bit. After that, it was extremely satisfying seeing the Allied conquest all the way to the end. Great book but long - twice as long as Michener's Hawaii, maybe more.

Tom Curren status

"The March" by E.L. Doctorow. Novelized historical fiction (a genre I love, when done well) about General Sherman's march to the sea in Georgia to pretty much tear out the heart of the Confederacy near the end of the Civil War. Plenty of history and plenty of fiction from this famous author. Is worth the read.

Kelly Slater status

I think anyone over 40 knows the general story, but if not, one of the best books I've read lately is "The Stranger Beside Me" by Ann Rule on my Kindle. It's light reading, but really good if you're into the "True Crime" genre....

Tom Curren status

"Mudbound" by Hillary Jordan. It was made into a very successful Netflix movie in 2017. Even if you have already seen the movie, the novel is a great read. Just read it. It's 324 pages of awesome writing, and the pages turn quickly.

Tom Curren status

I just finished The Institute by Stephen King. Had some elements of Firestarter to it, which I kind of liked. Overall really good and it read like the wind but a lot of times it felt like he was trying to drop current events and trends just a little too hard, which will only be stupid if you read it 5 years hence. Didn't override the quality of the story but I was thinking, man shut the f*ck up already Steve.

Kento, I know you like your Stephen King, and you most likely have read the 2015 compilation of King short stories called "Bazaar of Bad Dreams." For those who haven't, this is a collection of stories between 20 and 60 pages in length which range from near-brilliant at best to merely above mediocre (for him) at worst. Worth it to have around and pick up at any time. Some of those stories will stick with you.

Duke status

Kento, I know you like your Stephen King, and you most likely have read the 2015 compilation of King short stories called "Bazaar of Bad Dreams." For those who haven't, this is a collection of stories between 20 and 60 pages in length which range from near-brilliant at best to merely above mediocre (for him) at worst. Worth it to have around and pick up at any time. Some of those stories will stick with you.